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Ticats clinch playoff spot with OT win in Ottawa

Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli scrambles for some yards against the Ottawa Redblacks. Masoli threw a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes as the Ticats forced, and then won in, overtime. (Peter Power / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Darren DesaulniersThe Canadian Press

Fri., Oct. 21, 2016

OTTAWA—Brett Maher kicked a 38-yard field goal in double overtime Friday to give the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a 39-36 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks.

The win kept the second-place Tiger-Cats (7-9-0) in the hunt for the East Division title while also securing them a playoff spot. They now trail the Redblacks (7-8-1) by just a single point with two weeks to play in the regular season. The result eliminated Toronto from post-season contention. Edmonton had already clinched a crossover spot, at the very least.

The Redblacks turned the ball over on their second possession of overtime after quarterback Henry Burris was stripped while being sacked.

Maher had an 18-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime to give the Tiger-Cats a 36-33 lead but Chris Milo connected from 45-yards out to tie the game 36-36.

At 2:42 of the fourth quarter, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jeremiah Masoli to John Chiles, once converted, pulled the Tiger-Cats to within a single point of the Redblacks. Burris responded with a four-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Jackson, but the extra point was wide and the lead was seven at 33-26.

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Hamilton tied the game tied the game when CJ Gable completed a five-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Masoli with less than five minutes to play.

The Tiger-Cats scored the only points of the third quarter thanks to a one-yard touchdown run from Jeff Mathews on the first drive of the second half and a single point off a 37-yard missed field-goal attempt from Maher, cutting their deficit to 27-19.

The Redblacks scored on all of their first-half possessions except one — an interception thrown by Burris — as they took a 27-12 lead into the second half.

The lone punt of the half came off the foot of Maher, but it led to six points for the Tabbies after Tristan Jackson misplayed the punt and the ball ended up on the Ottawa 20-yard line.

Three plays later Masoli completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Elliott at 13:28, but the failed extra point left Hamilton trailing 20-12.

Burris then marched the Redblacks down the field and with just nine seconds to play in the half Mossis Madu Jr., ran the ball in for a two-yard score and a 27-12 Redblacks lead after Milo converted the play.

The Redblacks will have a home-and-home series with the Blue Bombers starting next week in Winnipeg to close out their regular season.

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